TARBUTMUN 2023

Special Political and Decolonization Committee

SPECPOL

Topic A: China-Taiwan Crisis

Topic B: Addressing the Chinese Initiative as Soft Colonization

Dear Delegates,

We would like to welcome you all to the SPECPOL committee. We will be debating
about important topics that are currently happening in the world. You, delegates, will be
in charge of finding the best solution possible to this problem, managing and expressing
your thoughts and solutions, discovering new alliances, and creating the best way to
solve this issue. You will be the head of the change you would like to see in the future.
SPECPOL has the ability to fight against discrimination, displacement, and even in the
most brutal cases, belic conflicts. It is in your hands, delegates, to secure the future of
this committee and the well-being of the world. Encourage yourself to be creative, to
give facts and solutions, and to think out of the box, to have the best debate possible,
and have a great time together. We, as your chairs, are willing to work with you
throughout this debate, if anything is needed, please feel free to contact us at any time.
During the two days of TarbutMUN, we expect the best from you delegates; to be
motivated, and to surpass yourself every single time. Delegates, cross your barriers,
exceed expectations, and don’t be afraid of limits. With enthusiasm and joy, we
welcome you to SPECPOL 2023!

Sincerely,
Your PresidentsTanya Kaim & Alex Haidenberg

❖ Chairs
President:
➢ Tanya Kaim - tanyakaim10@gmail.com
President:
➢ Alex Haidenberg - alhaidensas@gmail.com
Moderator:
➢ Mark Morse - markmorse12@gmail.com
Secretary:
➢ David Bierzwinsky - bierzdavid@gmail.com
* Please feel free to contact us at any time if needed :)
Participating Countries

1. Arab Republic of Egypt

2. Democratic People's Republic of Korea
3. Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
4. Federal Republic of Germany
5. Federal Republic of Somalia
6. French Republic
7. Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
8. Italian Republic
9. Japan
10. Kingdom of Morocco
11. Kingdom of Thailand
12. Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
13. People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
14. People's Republic of China
15. Republic of Indonesia
16. Republic of Korea
17. Republic of Turkey
18. Russian Federation
19. Socialist Republic of Vietnam
20. State of Israel
21. Taiwan
22. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
23. United States of America
 Special Political and Decolonization Committee

The SPECPOL is the Fourth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly.
SPECPOL is an abbreviation for Special Political and Decolonization Committee. It was
founded in 1993 in Resolution 47/233 to handle situations that the first committee of the
United Nations, the General Assembly, could not handle; this included decolonization,
issues regarding atomic radiation, and international security problems.

Right now, the SPECPOL still deals with the issues that were established by the UN for
the committee when it was founded, but nowadays, it works differently. For most issues
that might reach the Security Council, the SPECPOL reviews them and determines if
they are important enough for the Security Council. If they are deemed important
enough to go to the Security Council, they get sent to be resolved at the Security
Council. If they are not deemed important enough, the SPECPOL tries to get to a
resolution internally without involving any other committees. SPECPOL reviews issues
regarding territory, as well as the displacement of minorities and discrimination. Though
SPECPOL’s role in the UN is not obsolete, this committee looks out for minorities, and
territories that are not strictly delimited, and therefore creates tension between
countries. Crimea and the Gaza Strip are great examples of issues, SPECPOL has to
deal with and come up with solutions.
 Topic A: China-Taiwan Crisis

Key Words

Unification: The connection of two entities.

Threatened: A possible aggressive action imposed by someone.

Belic conflict: A dispute between two entities.

Internal conflict: A issue in which outside entities are not involved.

Democracy: A political system that believes in freedom of choice.

Communism: A political system that believes everyone is equal with the same rights.

Sovereign State: An independent state.

One-China concept: Only one state (the PRC) with governmental power over all
Chinese territories.

PRC: People’s Republic of China.

PLA: The People's Liberation Army (Taiwan).

Military action: Asserting one's presence in a given territory.

Province: A territorial division of certain countries.

Sovereignty: complete authority over themselves.

Invasion: Occupation of a different land with military force

UN Secretary General resolution paper 2758: Official United Nations document stating
the current opinion regarding Taiwan.

Exports: Transporting products from one country to another.

KMT: Chinese nationalist political party.

Introduction

Taiwan, sometimes referred to as part of the ROC (Republic Of China), is a piece of

land situated across the Taiwan Strait from China. Taiwan has had a separate
government since 1949, and it has been called the People's Republic of China (PRC),
by other countries that don't recognize it as independent. The PRC declares that Taiwan
will one day "unify" with China's mainland and considers the island a rebel province.
Political leaders in Taiwan, since many years ago, have been considering its country as
an independent one, by having a democratic government election. They hold conflicting
views about the status of the island and its ties to China. Thanks to the 2016 election of
president Tsai Ing-wen, tensions have risen in Taiwan. Tsai has denied a plan for Ma
Ying-jeou (Former President of the Republic of China) to support an order to promote
stronger connections in the Taiwan Strait. As time passes, Beijing has been acting more
aggressively while flying fighter planes close to the island. As a result of this, people
worry that a Chinese strike on Taiwan may lead to a conflict between the United States
and China.

According to Beijing, Taiwan is a portion of the "one China" that exists. It belongs to the
"One-China concept," according to which the PRC is the only legitimate government in
China, and it wants Taiwan to eventually "unify" with the rest of the country. Beijing
asserts that the 1992 Compromise, which is an agreement negotiated between
members of the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese communist (KMT) party
that controlled Taiwan at the time, says that Taiwan is part of the Chinese mainland.
This 'agreement' was never intended to settle the issue of Taiwan's legal recognition,
and the two parties disagreed on the details of such. The 1992 Compromise is an
agreement for the PRC that "the two sides of the strait belong to one China and will
work together to pursue national reunification," according to Chinese President Xi
Jinping. China has various interpretations, according to the KMT, with the People’s
Republic of China, serving as the "one China."

Background

As of 1949, Taiwan has developed independently of China, yet Beijing still considers the
island part of its territory. Beijing has threatened to eventually "unify" Taiwan with the
mainland, if necessary, through force. Also, people fear that there is a possibility that the
US and China will go to war over Taiwan. According to Beijing, Taiwan is a portion of the

1
Maizland, L. (2022, August 4). Why China-Taiwan Relations Are So Tense. Council on Foreign
Relations. Retrieved October 21, 2022
"one China." Beijing says Taiwan belongs to the "One-China principle," according to
which the PRC is the only legal government in China. It wants Taiwan to eventually
"unify" with the rest of the country.

The PRC and the United States signed a formal diplomatic agreement in 1979. It also
dissolved its mutual defense pact with China and cut all diplomatic ties with it
simultaneously. However, the United States continues to have a strong, informal
connection with the island and continues to provide its army with defense material.
Beijing has frequently pushed Washington to suspend arms sales to Taipei and break
off communication.

Taiwan remains a sensitive and controversial topic despite attempts by Washington and
Beijing to resolve their differences. Following Taiwan President Lee Teng-1995 Hui's
visit to attend graduation celebrations at Cornell University, tensions grew. China
expressed severe disapproval of both the American decision to grant Lee a visa and of
what it saw to be a provocative statement made by Lee. The PLA staged several belic
exercises and ballistic missile launches in the summer of that year to express its
discontent. China started shooting ballistic missiles again in March of the following year,
this time with target regions near Taiwan's two biggest ports, Keelung and Kaohsiung.
The United States sent two carrier combat groups to the area in order to prevent the
PRC from launching any military action against Taiwan or its neighboring islands and
uphold American credibility as the protector of East Asian security and peace
throughout the area.

In 1947 the Taiwanese government committed a massacre dedicated to “silencing an

uprising,” this shooting led to the death of 28,000 innocent civilians, and for decades the
Taiwanese government has kept this information hidden only recently revealed by the
Washington Post. This past event demonstrated the dark side to Taiwan and the
possibility of other hidden information that could leave to the PRC being able to unite
Taiwan into itself, creating a modern-day communist governmental body.
 2

Present Situation

Currently, PRC still aspires to “unite” Taiwan into its governmental body, something
which Taiwan has refused to do, believing them “Rebels” for not joining. Taiwan is
supported by 15 sovereign states, 14 of which belong to the UN, while the other is the
Vatican City which acts as an Observer state to the United Nations.
President Joe Biden of the United States of America has stated that if Taiwan invades
the PRC he would involve himself, stating, “That is our compromise,” hinting at a
possible Belic conflict that could lead to global involvement. Both sides currently
possess a large military power on the border. It considers using its superior military
might to block the sea, leading into the independent islands, and preventing an
increment in trade for the Taiwanese people. China has also put a non-official
prevention for other countries' delegations from entering Taiwanese territory. The sea
between both countries is one of the most important trade paths currently available, and
a possible full blockade could be considered a violation of human rights, seeing as how
it would limit basic resources for the people of Taiwan. Unilever, the biggest company in

2
Brown, B. D. (2022, 8 August). China and Taiwan: A really simple guide. BBC News.
consumer goods, said on July 26 that it was raising its prices due to the impending
conflict between the two countries and its impact on their decrease in sales to the Asian
continent. This company isn't the only one, both Walmart and General Motors have
taken similar actions, with General Motors losing 40% of its profits.

With Nancy Pelosi’s recent visit to Taiwan, the Chinese government has threatened war
with the U.S.A. If this situation were to happen, the world's economy would collapse.
China has limited Taiwan´s exportation, due to her visit, and restricted over 33% of
Taiwan's exports. The PRC is Taiwan's biggest trading partner, with exports worth over
273 billion dollars. With such restrictions, China took away a considerable amount of
sovereignty from Taiwan.

After the past few days, China has taken action to control the side of Taiwan by calling a
war cabinet focusing specifically on the invasion of Taiwan. These might be leading to a
belic conflict of the increasing threats and the military action taken by both territories,
taking presence in the borders and claiming their authority. President Xi Jinping has
been promoting a government, with a military background, to higher governmental
positions in the cabinet to give more resources to China for a potential attack on Taiwan.
Based on the occurring situation, any further attack from China towards Taiwan,
according to different sources, would lead to the decline of the Chinese stock and
economic resources by a massive percentage.
US president Joe Biden recently stated that, “The idea that [Taiwan] could be taken by
force … would dislocate the entire region and be another action similar to what
happened in Ukraine.” 3 (France24, 2022)
After the increasing statement of the US president. the media has shown some
discomfort in Joe Biden’s comments, by stating that it has not shown the same ideology
towards the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, but is willing to defend Taiwan's
position to put an end to China’s invasion plans.

3
Liu, D. (2022, May 23). Ukraine today, Taiwan tomorrow? Tensions mount between US and China over Taiwan.
France 24.
Past Global and UN Actions

From 1949 to 1971, Taiwan was recognized as a country by the UN. However, due to
recent studies, only 13 out of 193 countries recognize Taiwan. Based on that
information, the UN decided that Taiwan is not currently considered a country, or part of
the UN. Furthermore, the United States still supports and views Taiwan as an
independent country and offers aid to Taiwan.

For the first time in 22 years, China released a document considering the ways and
purposes of unifying Taiwan and China. This paper states that “Taiwan is part of the
PRC” and has had some success in this effort. The new white paper emphasizes that “it
was clearly stated in the official legal opinions of the Office of Legal Affairs of the UN.
Secretariat that the UN considers ‘Taiwan’ as a province of China with no separate
status,” and “at the UN the island is referred to as ‘Taiwan, Province of China.” Although
this idea was put under revision by the UN Human rights council, there is also pressure
on the U.S. government and other important parties to put forward a motion to negate
the idea of the “one China principle”.

In October 1971 the 26th UN Secretary General approved resolution paper 2758. This
paper stated that the PRC is the only “lawful representative of China”, the document
officially States “Decides to restore all its rights to the People's Republic of China and to
recognize the representatives of its Government as the only legitimate representatives
of China to the United Nations. To expel forthwith the representatives of Chiang
Kai-shek from the place which they occupy at the United Nations and in all the
organizations related to it.” (1976th plenary meeting, 25 October 1971) this does not
permit the Taiwanese government to have an official representative in the United
Nations. In this resolution paper, it is not stated that Taiwan is part of the PRC, it isn't
even mentioned, and yet the PRC still uses resolution 2758 as an emphasis for its “One
China Principle”.
Block Analysis

Countries that currently support the one-China concept:

The countries that support this initiative, normally have the same political system as
China, better known as communism. These countries have a posture on the side of
China because it gives them mainly economic advantages, or because they currently
have an alliance regarding other advantages that involve China.

Countries that agree with the autonomy of Taiwan:

Those countries that support the independence of Taiwan, practically and politically,
would be benefited. Principally the smaller countries or territories, because these
countries will have a better income and entrance of exports and imports, giving them
economic advantages. The countries that would support Taiwan and its independence
are in favor of their way of political matters. Basing their government in a democratic
way instead of the communist beliefs that have been set in China.

Countries that currently have a no-intervention policy. However, during the debate, their
posture can change.
Those countries do not have an actual posture right now in figuring out the problem, but
depending on many different matters and situations, those postures might change. The
location, the merchandising between the involved countries, and some other facts might
change their perspective of the topic. The posture of these countries will be determined
by the fluency of the debate. But each of these countries should look for their own and
better benefits. Either for them or with the committee.

Further Reading

➢ Brown, B. D. (2022, 8 August). China and Taiwan: A really simple guide.

BBC News.
 ➢ Tan, B. Y. (2022, October 18). China-Taiwan: Beijing spepractically and
politicallyBlinken says. BBC News.
➢ What Is the U.S. “One China” Policy, and Why Does it Matter? (n.d.).
Center for Strategic and International Studies.
➢ He, L. & CNN’s Beijing Bureau. (2022, August 3). China hits Taiwan with
trade restrictions after Pelosi visit. CNN.
➢ Maizland, L. (2022b, August 4). Why China-Taiwan Relations Are So
Tense. Council on Foreign Relations.
➢ Winkle, A. (2022, November 2). China may be ready to invade Taiwan
now that President Xi has set up a ‘war cabinet’, warns veteran investor
Kyle Bass. BuisnessNews.

References

Maizland, L. (2022, August 4). Why China-Taiwan Relations Are So Tense. Council on
Foreign Relations. Retrieved October 21, 2022, from
https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/china-taiwan-relations-tension-us-policy-biden

Buckley, C., Robles, P., Hernandez, M., & Chien, A. C. (2022, August 25). How China
could choke Taiwan. The New York Times. Retrieved October 19, 2022, from
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/08/25/world/asia/china-taiwan-conflict-blocka
de.html

Baker, P. (2022, July 28). China's domestic troubles will hang over the biden-xi call. The
New York Times. Retrieved October 19, 2022, from
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/27/us/politics/biden-jinping-china-taiwan.html
Programs & Projects | Center for Strategic and International Studies. (s. f.). Retrieved
October 20, 2022,
https://www.csis.org/programs/international-security-program/isp-archives/asia-division/
cross-strait-security-initiativ-0.+(n.d.).

Wang, A. B. (2021, December 1). For decades, no one spoke of Taiwan's hidden
massacre. A new generation is breaking the silence. The Washington Post. Retrieved
October 21, 2022, from
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/02/28/for-decades-no-one-s
poke-of-taiwans-hidden-massacre-a-new-generation-is-breaking-the-silence/

Fukuda, M. (2022, September 1). China is using a UN resolution to further its claim over
Taiwan. – The Diplomat. Retrieved October 28, 2022, from
https://thediplomat.com/2022/08/china-is-using-a-un-resolution-to-further-its-claim-over-t
aiwan/
 Topic B: Addressing the Chinese Initiative as Soft Colonization

Key Words

Colonialism: To take complete or partial political control over another country.

Imperialism: To extend a country's dominion through military or diplomatic forces.

International affairs: Events that involve two or more countries.

Geopolitics: The combination of geographic and political actions relating to territorial

benefits and disadvantages.

Propaganda: Spreading of information or opinions with social publicity or multimedia.

Colony concept: The several factors determining the way a country is called after all
requirements are completed by the colonized country.

Neo-Colonialism: It is a new and modern policy based on Colonialism, giving political

independence and, in some cases, having different and smaller territories with no grant
of power.

Investment: To place time or money in something that will have a positive outcome
(mostly economic).

Introduction

China's spectacular and unmatched economic rise has defined the twenty-first century.
China's yearly income rate has only dropped as low as 7% since 2000. Neo-colonialism,
however, is the secret behind Beijing's economic boom, hidden beneath the surface of
the developing power. (KETAGALAN-2017).

According to the concept of colonialism, there seems to be three specific requirements

for a state's acts to be called colonialist. The "colony" state must first come entirely or
partially under the political power of the colonizing state. Secondly, residents of the
"colonizing" state must live in the "colony" state. Lastly, the economic resources of the
"colony" state must then be exported to the colonizing state. However, a new paradigm
of colonialism was required in the 20th century. The first Prime Minister and later First
President of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah, introduced the idea of neo-colonialism. In his
1965 book "Neo-Colonialism, the Last Stage of Imperialism," Nkrumah outlined his
novel idea: "The essence of neo-colonialism is that the state which is subject to it is, in
theory, independent and has all the outward trappings of international sovereignty. In
reality, its economic system and thus its political policy is directed from
outside."(Nkrumah, Kwame-2022) Nkrumah emphasizes that neo-colonialism acts
behind closed doors, rather than imposing a clear political rule of one nation onto
another. It functions on the pretense of independence.
The Chinese Communist Party, which uses soft power and significant foreign
investment to support China's enormous manufacturing, trade, and construction sectors,
has created and put into place a neo-colonialist system in sub-Saharan Africa.

The famous speech by Deng Xiaoping signaled a significant shift in Chinese foreign
policy. By stressing a joint battle against the conventional Western colonial powers,
Xiaoping and Mao brought in the "Third World" by uniting China with it. In the name of
Third World kinfolk, this effectively allowed China to benefit from the wrongs of previous
invaders and become the "rags-to-riches" success story, establishing the groundwork
for any future dealings with sub-Saharan Africa. The "brotherhood" of victimized states
and the shared experience of Western imperialism is the foundation of China's
engagement with sub-Saharan Africa. The Chinese government promotes mutual
engagement, expanding trade, boosting imports from Africa, and ultimately encouraging
China-African commerce's balanced and quick growth. Jiang also proudly outlined the
regional framework for Chinese commerce. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists
the following:

1. "To foster a sincere friendship between the two sides and become each other's
reliable 'all-weather friends,'
2. To treat each other as equals and respect each other's sovereignty and refrain
from interfering in each other's internal affairs,
3. To seek joint development based on mutual benefit,
4. To enhance consultation and cooperation in international affairs,
5. To look into the future and create a more splendid world." (Africa Center 2018)

Although these beliefs and principles seem like ideals that would benefit both parties, a
deeper look at the connection reveals that they are little more than abstract ideas. They
reflect the official position on China's relationship with Africa: the two sides are
"All-weather buddies" or have a "win-win" arrangement. However, China's participation
in Africa is everything but that. (Africa Center 2018),(KETAGALAN-2017)

Background

The relationship between the People's Republic Of China, and African countries, such
as Algeria, Egypt, Guinea, Somalia, Morocco, and Sudan, started in the late 1950s. This
originally started as a trade agreement between said countries, but recently, it has
become an exploit of African resources by the PRC.
It is important to note that the governmental body of colonization has been banned by
the UN in resolution 1514. As such, China's new action of soft colonization could be
considered illegal, but that's not the case in this situation; this action is considered “soft
colonization”. This means that while it's considered colonization, it does not include all
the aspects of it, especially the forced application of China's culture, manners, and
economy into these countries.
The first 20 years of the century have been represented by the outstanding economic
growth of China. Since 2000, China’s annual growth rate has only fallen as low as 7%
and peaked at twice that in 2007. (The World Bank, 2022) However, upon the cover of
the rising power lies the secret ingredient to Beijing’s economic miracle:
neo-colonialism. According to the standard literature on colonialism, for a state’s actions
to be considered colonialist, there are three specific conditions. First, the colonizing
state must have full or partial political control over the “colony” state. However, in the
20th century, a new theory of colonialism was necessary.

China does not currently own an official position regarding the rumors of soft
colonization. Although it is believed that these actions are beneficial for the countries
involved.

Present Situation

China's Global Development Initiative (GDI) was highlighted last month by Chinese
Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his speech to the UN General Assembly (UNGA) to
advance the 2030 agenda. China has been attempting to spread a more open record
about international expansion in recent years, as seen by its three documents (2011,
2014, and 2021). As well as, most recently, the Global Development Index (GDI), which
President Xi Jinping first announced at the 2021 UNGA. China views its responsibility
as a contributor to and a supporter of creative ideas and methods as its obligation to
engage in development cooperation. It bases its strategy on south-south cooperation
(SSC), which has more scope than official development assistance (ODA) and
encompasses investments, diplomacy, and other channels, such as those used by the
Belt and Road Initiative.(Anthea Mulakala October 18, 2022)
Because it gives a control structure for China's contacts. The GDI represents a
substantial change in how China has historically pictured its growth. The GDI lays out
and promotes its vision with eight priorities "(poverty reduction, food security, COVID-19
and vaccines, financing for development, climate change and green development,
industrialization, digital economy, and conservation)" and six accompanying principles
"(a people-centered approach, development as a priority, benefits for all, harmony with
nature, and action-oriented approaches)." China claims that the 2030 Agenda is
off-track. China chooses to set up its tent and welcome others within, even if its GDI
aims and guiding principles closely resemble those of the global development agenda.
Over 50 nations made up the Group of Friends of the GDI, formally introduced at the
UN in January 2022. A ministerial meeting of the Group of Friends was then held
alongside the recent 2022 UNGA.

China wants to start new programs involving digital education, developing, eradicating
poverty, expanding alliances, and building better futures.
One of these initiatives, the Nepal Smiling Children project, is carried out by the China
Rural Development Foundation, one of China's first and most prominent NGOs. Liu
Jianchao, chairman of the Communist Party of China's International Department,
inaugurated the GDI in July. China asserts that more than 100 nations and
organizations support or are favorable toward the GDI, although audiences outside the
development community need to pay more attention. (Country Report: China. July
2022)

More so than the issues of rising inequality or climate change. Great power competition
and politics are driving the expansion of alliances. There is some element of countering
China as an objective in programs, like the Partnership for Global Infrastructure, and
Investment of the G7. The new US-Pacific Partnership, the Indo-Pacific Economic
Framework, the Quad's sustainability plan, and triangular cooperation partnerships
support and promote India as a partner of choice. Western and Northern nations would
have likely welcomed China's release of the GDI ten years ago, when soft power rivalry
was less of a factor and development cooperation was more of a forum for interaction
and conversation about shared goals. The GDI is justifiably viewed by some as a soft
power move by China, given the variety of geostrategic challenges that underpin any
contemporary development cooperation attempts. The GDI is criticized for "propagating
Chinese ideology in developing countries." (Anthea Mulakala, October 18, 2022)
Partner nations will also question the GDI's intentions. Partner nations will have little
trust in the sincerity and durability of any pledges if development cooperation (from
China or others) is used to further foreign policy and geostrategic aims. China must
show that development objectives are essential and the GDI will provide the goods
notwithstanding any soft power negotiations that the GDI may use.

Past Global and UN Actions

Africa has attracted foreign attention for the longest time due to its vast natural
resources, which may vary from uranium to copper, and 10% of the earth's renewable
water. While most countries have not been interested in Africa, that is not the case for
China. Former President Trump wanted to use Africa as a play against the PRC. This
was going to be done by establishing trade in certain countries in the continent, in the
hopes of convincing those countries from trading with China, and instead, trading with
the US. While this wasn't a full-scale attack, China certainly thought so, and that is one
of the reasons there have been hostilities between these two countries. President Biden
has continued this initiative to increase trade with Africa, further continuing the conflict
between two of the most powerful nations in the world. There are rumors about China
being in secret debt to African countries. That means that the exact terms of the loans
given by China are not public knowledge, and this has other countries nervous.

China's investments in African countries started in the 80s, and throughout the years
rapidly increased. Africa has been significantly advancing due to the economic situation
given by China. The PRC started its relationship with Africa due to an event based on
the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, which was basically a protest held by students
towards the Chinese government, the protest was because of poor international affairs
and charity. Afterward, it ended badly, and the Chinese military was forced to take
action. This caused other countries to criticize the PRC, and in time this criticism made
China interested in investing in African countries. They believed that it would have a
positive reaction from other governments.

In the 2008 economic crisis, China took the opportunity to grow its economy by ten
percent every year. This is in part due to the vast trading empire it has established in the
African continent and the road belt, China has been rumored to have invested 23 billion
dollars in African development. World leaders are currently concerned about the PRCs
interest in foreign development. All these acts have deeply harmed the African
environment and its cultural growth.
Block Analysis

Countries that currently do not support the soft colonization concept.

These countries have a complete and strict declaration towards the actions taken by
China, regarding the countries that want to conquer, calling it soft colonization. These
countries need to be on the same page, and want to change the ways that China has
been taking. Also, these countries can be having problems because of the colonization
taken by China. These problems can be directed toward their own country or their
economic stability, mostly.

Countries that are aware of the situation and are willing to take action in the future. But
not right now.
These countries right now do not have a particular posture specifying the topic, their
own type of policies and beliefs will make them take a side moving forward with the
debate. But right now, they have yet to hold a specific position for this conflict. The
economic matters, their geopolitical location, and their national beliefs can make the
country's point of view move the balance.
Countries that have done the colonization process before as well as China right now
Following the history of these countries, many of them have past actions and
experiences with colonization effects, conflicts, and concepts. These countries having
these types of experiences could lead them to support their own belief “right choice”.
These choices could also be seen as an example of what they want to accomplish in
the near future, as well as the advantages that these actions that have been taken right
now could give them a lot more power than if this action is not taken.

Further Reading

➢ Li, J. (2022, April 18). The Belt and Road Initiative and international
business policy: A kaleidoscopic perspective. Springer
➢ China’s Interests in the Middle East and North Africa. (n.d.).
➢ Carminati, D. (2019, September 5). China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Debt
Trap or Soft Power Catalyst? E-International Relations.
➢ Writer, S. (2022, October 18). Transcript: President Xi Jinping’s report to
China’s 2022 party congress. Nikkei Asia.
➢ The Hindu. (2019, March 23). What is the Belt and Road Initiative, and
why is China pushing it hard?
➢ Nye, J. S., Jr. (2017, August 30). The Soft Power of the United Nations.
➢ 5 Things U.S. Policymakers Must Understand About China-Africa
Relations - Center for American Progress

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